I Don't Need Saving
by ForeverIsAnAwfullyLongTime
Summary: 16 year old Princess Emma finds herself in a tough situation, she should have listened to her parents. FTL AU. Charming Family Fluff.


**A/N- This was a random idea for a oneshot that popped in my head, and I got so involved in the characters that I decided to make it a series! This will basically replace my previous story Home Is Where The Heart is, as I have a much better storyline for this! Anyway, enjoy :)**

* * *

14 year old Princess Emma looked back at the castle one last time, then took a deep breath and mounted her horse, Cynthia, riding off into the forest as fast as she could.

She grinned as the wind whipped through her blonde curls as she rode. She hadn't felt this free in a long time, she was always accompanied, or had a boundary set, but this time they didn't even know she was gone.

She felt a little guilty for not telling her parents where she was going, but she was safe. She knew how to fight, defend herself. She wasn't worried at all.

She was jolted forward in surprise when Cynthia suddenly stopped. She frowned.

"What's wrong girl?" Emma squeezed her side, urging her on, but Cynthia stayed put with a defiant whinny.

"Come on!" Emma urged. Cynthia snorted and shook her head, it was like she was trying to tell her something. Emma sighed in frustration and dismounted.

"I guess I'll just have to walk then," she said stubbornly.

Cynthia let out a surprised whinny and started following her.

"So you won't let me ride you, but you'll walk beside me?" Emma asked, annoyed.

Cynthia shook her head.

"You don't want me going over there?" Emma tried again.

Cynthia neighed happily.

"So by following me...what are you achieving?" Emma smirked.

The horse stopped short and snorted in annoyance, realising the Princess was right.

"Why are you trying to stop me? I've been out here plenty of times!" Emma crossed her arms.

Cynthia gave her a look.

"Okay so I was accompanied!" Emma gave in "You are too intelligent for a normal horse,"

Cynthia snorted in offence.

"Alright I'm sorry, I know your special." Emma gave her an affectionate pat on the neck. Cynthia nuzzled into her happily, then she sharply looked up with her ears pricked.

"What? What's wrong?" Emma looked over where she was looking, she couldn't see anything.

Then she heard rustling in the trees. She stepped closer to Cynthia, her hand at her side where her sword was currently resting. There was another rustle and then she gasped as a group of the Evil Queen's soldiers appeared. Her eyes widened in fear. Crap. Why did that stupidly smart horse always have to be right!?

* * *

Snow White walked around the large castle in confusion, before finally reaching the study, where James was absorbed in paperwork.

"James?" she asked gently. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

"Hi, don't worry, I'm almost done," he smiled at his wife.

"Well good, but that's not why I was looking for you," Snow's smile turned to a frown.

"What's wrong?" James asked in concern.

"Have you seen Emma?" Snow asked.

A thoughtful look came across his face "The last time I saw her, she was with Charlotte this morning," he finally said. Charlotte was James and Snow's 9 year old daughter, she absolutely adored her older sister, and often followed her around.

"She's not anymore, Charlotte is in her room, but Emma isn't there..." Snow shook her head.

"Is she with Nicholas?" James tried again. Nicholas was 5 years old and Emma tended to try to avoid him as much as possible, he annoyed her a little.

"He's asleep," Snow shook her head again, getting more worried.

"Looking after Andrea?" James was worried now as well, Andrea was the youngest of the four children, she was only 2 years old, she was Emma's favourite sibling as she tended not to argue with her like the other two.

"Andrea is in her crib!" Snow exclaimed in distraught. James immediately stood up and pulled his wife into a hug.

"Snow it's okay, Emma's strong, I'm sure she's fine," he comforted her.

"What if something's happened to her Charming?" Snow asked.

"She's probably just out in the stables with Cynthia," James assured her.

"You're probably right," Snow sniffled.

Just then one of the knights came rushing in, James looked up immediately.

"Regina's men have been spotted in the forest," the knight said.

Snow looked up in fear "James."

"I know," he said to her, then he turned back to the knight "Tell the others to get ready, don't leave until I'm there, I'm coming with you," he ordered.

The knight nodded and then hurried back to tell the other knights the plan.

"Charming what if Emma's out there?" Snow asked in alarm.

"That's why I'm going, it's going to be okay," James told her "I'll be back soon," he gave her a light kiss before walking out.

* * *

A few minutes later, after Snow had seen James and the knights ride off, she walked down the hall past Emma's room, and arrived at Charlotte's room. She smiled softly when she saw Charlotte sitting on the floor brushing her favourite dolls hair. At only 9 years old, Charlotte's long ivory black hair was already just past her shoulders, her blue eyes sparkled with mischief and she didn't let anyone walk over her.

"Charlotte," Snow said softly. Charlotte looked up and beamed at her Mother.

"Hi Mummy," she said happily "Do you want to brush Ivory's hair with me?" she asked. Charlotte had named her doll Ivory after hearing Emma say she had ivory skin.

"I would love to sweetie, but I have to check on Nicholas and Adele too," Snow said. Charlotte nodded sadly.

"I'll come back, I promise sweetheart," Snow assured her. Charlotte nodded, satisfied and went back to brushing the dolls hair.

Snow continued down the hall to Nicholas' room. She walked in quietly when she saw him peacefully sleeping, his blonde hair freshly ruffled. She leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. He moved a little and then his blue eyes fluttered open.

"Momma?" he asked wearily.

"Shh honey, go back to sleep," Snow soothed him, stroking his forehead. Nicholas let out a little sigh before his eyes closed again.

Snow walked out of the room quietly, and headed down to the last room in the hallway, Andrea's nursery. When she peeked in she saw Andrea lying in her crib, playing with the mobile above her and giggling happily. She smiled and walked in, when Andrea saw her Mother she reached up towards her.

"Momma!" Andrea gurgled happily. Snow happily leaned in and picked up her daughter. Andrea's green eyes met her Mother's identical ones and Snow lovingly tucked a strand of Andrea's light brown hair behind her ear.

She held her daughter close to her for a while, talking to her and tickling her. Eventually, she put her down in the crib and Andrea yawned and started to drift off to sleep. Snow kissed her forehead and then headed back to Charlotte's room, she had to keep her promise.

* * *

Emma gulped loudly and stepped even closer to Cynthia, who snorted dangerously at the men.

"Get her," one of the soldiers ordered.

Emma gasped and quickly leaped on Cynthia's back, who immediately took off into a gallop. Emma heard the men following her, and she could hear they weren't far behind. In a second Emma made a decision and swiftly jumped off Cynthia's back and drew her sword. The knights all leapt off as well and quickly surrounded her. Emma took one shaky breath. No, she thought, I can do this. I won't be afraid, I know what I'm doing and they are no match for me! Emma looked up with a new determination in her eyes and with a yell she swung her sword at one of the knights who was taken by surprise and fell to the ground, unconscious. Another one of the knights came at her and their swords met with a clang as both tried to best each other. Emma started to worry when she had to fight off the others as well, she was getting tired, they were besting her, she was outnumbered.

Just when she was about to give up she heard the thundering of hooves and a second later a group of her Father's knights burst through the trees, her Dad among them. The two groups of knights immediately went into a sword fight. Emma ran back to Cynthia who was a few feet away and stood next to her. She watched in fright as her Father along with his knights bested the Evil Queen's men, who all ended up dead.

James nodded at the knights who rode back towards the castle to let everyone know the issue had been dealt with. As soon as they were gone James turned towards Emma.

"What were you thinking?" he said angrily. Emma looked down at the ground.

"There is a reason we send you out here with someone else! It's so you don't stray too far and get yourself into situations like that! I don't even want to think about what would have happened if we hadn't turned up when we did!" James fumed.

"I'm sorry okay!" Emma exclaimed.

"You're only 14 Emma, no where near ready to be out here by yourself," James shook his head.

"And when will I be old enough!" Emma yelled "When I'm 50!? I'm not a little kid anymore Papa, I don't need saving!"

James was taken aback at the outburst, but recovered quickly "If we hadn't come in there what would have happened Emma? It certainly looked like you needed saving," he said sternly.

Emma looked away, not replying. James sighed.

"We'll discuss this further with your Mother when we get back to the castle," he said.

Emma nodded and mounted Cynthia, not making eye contact with her Father. The two rode back to the castle in silence.

* * *

Snow had long since returned to her room after playing with Charlotte for a while, and was anxiously waiting for James to return with Emma. She looked up sharply when she heard the sounds of the guards arriving home and breathed a sigh of relief, they mustn't be far off. Sure enough, another 10 minutes after the knights had returned, she heard the door again and footsteps coming toward her room. She waited anxiously and as soon as Emma walked in she ran over and gave her a huge hug.

"Oh thank God!" Snow held her tightly.

"Mama it's okay," Emma said.

Snow pulled away and looked at her angrily "Okay? Emma don't you dare ever pull something like that again!" she said "Do you know how worried we were?"

"Yeah I already got the lecture," Emma grumbled.

It was at that point James walked in.

"You are not getting out of this Emma," he said sternly.

"I'm not trying too!" Emma exclaimed "I just wanted to have fun for once!"

"You're too young to be out there by yourself," Snow told her.

"I get it already!" Emma yelled "I'm too young to do anything and might as well stay in this stupid castle for the rest of my life because I can't do anything!" she glared at them.

"Emma," her Father warned.

Emma just rolled her eyes.

"Sweetheart, we didn't mean it like that, we just worry about you. We love you so much and don't want anything to happen to you," Snow said gently.

"And you can't be reckless like this, you're a Princess Emma, it's time you started being more responsible," James continued.

"Don't you get it!" Emma said, exasperated "That's the thing, I don't want to be a role model! I don't want people to look up to me! I don't want to be a Princess!" then she ran out of the room and into her own, slamming the door.

Snow and James stood there in shock.

"Has she ever told you about this before?" Snow asked after a minute.

"No..." James said.

"What do we do?" Snow asked sadly.

"I don't know what we can do," James replied.

* * *

Emma threw herself on her bed and started to cry. She had never meant to go off like that. It may have been true what she had said, but they weren't meant to be told like that. She continued to cry into her pillow, she stopped when she heard the door slowly creak open.

"Emmy?" Charlotte's little voice came from the doorway.

"What?" Emma grumbled.

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asked.

"No," Emma replied.

Charlotte's feet made little noises as she walked across the room and lay next to her sister.

"Why did you yell at Momma and Poppa?" she asked.

Emma turned to face her "I didn't mean too," she confessed.

"Why don't you say sorry?" Charlotte looked at her with her big blue eyes.

"Because," Emma put her arms around her sister and pulled her close "I'm too stubborn, and I don't think I can face them yet,"

Charlotte went quiet for a while. The two sisters stayed in the same position for a while, not talking.

"Emmy?" Charlotte said eventually.

"Yes?" Emma replied.

"Momma and Poppa love you, and you shouldn't be scared to talk to them, they understand," she said softly.

Emma laughed quietly "Where did you hear that?"

"You told me that when I broke that vase and was too scared, it made me brave," Charlotte reminded her.

Emma smiled softly and kissed her sisters forehead "Thank you Charli, but I didn't make you brave, you're brave all on your own,"

"I love you Emmy," Charlotte hugged her tightly.

"Love you too," Emma said, hugging her back "Now scram," she pushed her lightly.

Charlotte smiled at her one last time before running out back to her room.

Emma lay there for another minute and then wiped her eyes and walked back to her parents room. She stood at the door for a while and saw them standing together talking quietly. She cleared her throat and they both turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry," Emma said, then she ran over to them and they both pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay sweetie," Snow said gently.

"I didn't mean it like that," Emma sniffed "I just...you're right, I am still young and it's a lot of pressure..."

"We didn't mean to put a lot of pressure on you," James told her.

"I know. I just don't want to disappoint anyone," Emma sighed.

She pulled away from her parents and they both smiled at her.

"You could never be a disappointment," Snow told her.

"Just look how much Charlotte and Nicholas look up to you, Andrea adores you, how could we be disappointed?" James assured her.

"I promise I won't ever do what I did today again," Emma said firmly.

"Good, I don't like the thought that I could lose you," Snow stroked her hair.

Emma stifled a yawn "I'm going to bed, it's been a long day," she hugged them both tightly "I love you,"

"We love you too," James smiled.

"Night," she said before heading off to her room.

Snow let out a peaceful sigh "Everything is perfect right now,"

That's when Andrea decided to start crying. Snow groaned.

"Do you want me to go?" James asked.

"No, I've got her. Can you check on Nicholas and Charlotte?" Snow asked.

James nodded and Snow smiled gratefully before heading to tend to Andrea. Just another normal day.

* * *

**A/N: hope you guys enjoyed :) r&r!**


End file.
